By Adam Swift
More than a half a century later, the first steps of man on the moon still inspire awe and wonder.
Now, thanks to the Space Adventure exhibit currently running at 121 Webster Ave., visitors can experience the thrill of lunar exploration complete with more than 300 original NASA items.
Visitors will have the opportunity to experience the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions – responsible for bringing the first humans to the lunar surface – through a series of immersive rooms that include original artifacts that no one has ever seen or been given access to before. These include the control panel and counting clock of the Houston Space Center, computers used in 1960, radios used for communication between spacecraft and Earth, astronaut suits, cameras used to capture the famous images of the lunar surface and astronauts, work tools and devices that filtered the air inside the modules, the Apollo mission food menu featuring items that could be stored for decades and products developed especially for the personal hygiene of astronauts while they were in the space.
The exhibition is divided into several stages. The first is a 180-degree immersive video that welcomes and transports visitors to the space environment they are about to immerse themselves in, followed by a journey into the main room where the 300 original NASA objects are housed. From there they continue to the Control Room, which features the original computers from the NASA Space Center. Attendees will then embark on their wonderful journey from the “Departure to the Moon” room to culminate in the lunar landing in the “Arrival on the Moon” room.
Alexia Patino of the Space Adventure Team said there has been excellent feedback from those who have already visited, with many commenting on the mix of an immersive experience together with the original NASA items.
“We really hope people realize the bravery man needs to get to the moon,” Patino said. “It is an experience where we hope everyone realizes the historic value of landing on the moon, especially now considering the time that we are planning on going back. It’s an exciting time to look back on the Apollo missions.”
The exhibition also includes a series of images and films documenting the different lunar missions through the years, as well as virtual reality experiences and a 5D Cinema with content related to space.
Space Adventure is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m through the end of February, although there is a chance that the exhibit could run longer. Tickets are available now online via Fever, the same company behind several of the recent immersive exhibits in Metro Boston.
This project is a collaboration between Primo Entertainment, DC Set Group, and the Cosmosphere Space Education Center and Museum in Hutchinson, Kansas, the organization responsible for collecting, safeguarding, and managing the rare historical artifacts so they can be shared with all of humanity.